On this Day in 1856

Accident at Kibblesworth Colliery,

"On the 24th of April, a boiler explosion occurred at Kibblesworth Colliery, whereby one person was killed, and another afterwards died of his wounds. In this case five boilers were connected together, each boiler having a steam safety valve and ordinary float apparatus; an uniform steam pipe and water-feed pipe, with branches to each boiler, supplied the steam and water, each branch being furnished with a screw valve, by which means the attendant could regulate the feed according to the requirement exhibited by the safety valve and the float apparatus; it being perfectly understood, that when one boiler was feeding, the valves belonging to the other should remain shut, in order to avoid the very common and dangerous circumstance of one boiler discharging its water into its neighbouring boiler, which is technically called 'priming'....." 

1856 Mines Inspectors Report c/o Durham Mining Museum

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1850s 1856 Mining Kibblesworth Kibblesworth Colliery (1842 - 1974)